Even in Death
by kittyface27
Summary: Luffy and Zoro have a HUGE secret they've been hiding from the crew since the beginning. What happens once Sanji finds out? And will the rest of the crew as well? What would their reactions be? Long one-shot.


**Made a little one shot while I attempt to finish my most promising fics. Still posting my baby Luffy/Katakuri fic, so I'm happy if anyone is keeping up with that one. Enjoy~ **

**3 Zolu forever.**

Luffy sat in his first mate's lap, leaning against his chest while they took a break from the partying. Luffy was waiting for his next serving of meat while Zoro was just finishing his sixth bottle of sake. The room was loud with cheers from fishmen, mermaids and the pirates. The other seven pirates were all eating or resting, so Luffy and Zoro were free to have a quiet conversation without anyone paying much attention.

"I bet Sanji's gonna find out," Luffy said with a small frown. Zoro swallowed his last mouthful of the sake before he tossed it to the side.

"Should'a found out two years ago. But, this is the idiot who couldn't figure out we were gay without seeing us kiss, so who knows," Zoro replied nonchalantly. "Besides, is it really such a bad thing that they know?" he asked softly.

Luffy stiffened. He didn't want the crew to know. He didn't know what they'd think of him if they knew about his problem. "I don't want them to know."

"I know, but I'm sure they'd understand," Zoro said kindly. He rubbed his hand into Luffy's hair softly. "They're your nakama. They waited to meet up for two years for you. And if they don't accept, then they can leave. Plus, Brook died, too. I don't see your skin rotting and turning into a skeleton."

Luffy relaxed into Zoro's caress with a sigh. He knew Zoro was right, but Luffy was just so scared that his friends would be disgusted by him. Or worse, be afraid of him. He had worked so hard to not let anyone but Ace know about his condition.

When he'd started out on his pirate journey, he had desperately wanted a boat with a cabin after Zoro joined, so he wouldn't find out Luffy's secret. But things happened between them in the couple weeks they were alone together on the little dingy and Luffy trusted Zoro enough to tell him. You would tell the person you love that you died every month.

Plus, Zoro would have found out anyways, and it was better for him to be prepared, right? Not just see his new lover and captain drop dead on deck for a couple hours.

Once they had gotten the Merry and had two other crew members, Luffy and Zoro would go to the cannon room below deck and wait out the night in there. That way, none of the other pirates could see Luffy die and reanimate.

It was nicer when they got the Sunny so they just holed up in the crowsnest together and lock the hatch, saying they were taking watch while the others probably thought they were having sex up there and didn't want to risk seeing something they didn't want to see.

"Still… I don't want them to think I'm a zombie or something," Luffy said quietly after being handed another piece of meat, and Zoro was given the seventh bottle of alcohol. Zoro chuckled.

"If you were a zombie, I'm pretty sure you would have eaten me by now."

"I don't like raw meat. Maybe that's why. I'll just have Sanji set you on fire and then we'll see," Luffy joked in a serious voice. Zoro took it in stride and casually said, "I didn't think you were into kinky stuff."

Luffy's face turned red and he smacked Zoro's leg next to him since that was the only place he could reach.

Zoro chuckled. "You asked for it." And he took another long swig of booze. "So, we're leaving soon, right?" he asked quietly. "You said it's happening tonight." Luffy nodded. "What was it like with Reighley? How'd he react?" Zoro, Reighley and Luffy's brother were the only ones who knew about Luffy's problem. And they'd all supported him and been with him those nights.

"He was really nice about it. He kinda freaked out the first time and tried to resuscitate me. I felt bad about forgetting to tell him since I was so tired from that day's training. He didn't think I was scary or anything, he actually thought it was interesting. Then I spent the last sixth months by myself. It was a good thing I'd tamed the animals so they didn't eat me while I was dead." He gave a smile thinking about Reighley. He was a good person.

"That's good," Zoro replied. He would have been angry if Luffy's mentor had been mean about it. Luffy couldn't control it and didn't ask for it to happen. Zoro leaned forward and kissed Luffy's soft hair. "I really missed you," he muttered against it. Luffy heard him and held his hand.

"I missed you, too. There was this one time, in Impel Down, when I saw you and I was so happy. But then it ended up being Bon-chan impersonating you. I was really upset, though I was glad Bon-chan was alive. It still felt like a slap to the face," Luffy said quietly.

"I'm sorry I got sent away in front of you. I don't know what happened afterwards, but I'm sorry I didn't get to say goodbye." Zoro took his hand out of Luffy's and wrapped both arms around the younger after setting his bottle down. Luffy sighed. It felt so nice to be with Zoro again.

"It wasn't your fault. You got injured because of me anyways. I'm sorry you had to take my pain. That must have hurt really bad," Luffy said. Zoro had told him the night before they reached Sabaody, since Luffy kept pestering and used the "you don't love me enough to tell me?" card. It had worked.

Zoro had been surprised Luffy hadnt been angry. He hadnt been surprised at all. He would have done the same for Zoro in a heartbeat. Then Luffy was the one to change his bandages and get him the ice packs when he needed them.

"You know I'd do it again."

"I know. I love you."

"Love you, too."

"Set sail everyone! Nami, let's go to the wiggly compass!" Luffy cheered, much to the weakling trio's despair. But no one was surprised. Zoro, Sanji, Robin and Franky all thought going to the most dangerous island would be the most interesting. The others didn't agree.

But they sighed in defeat, and Nami lead them on the course to the wiggly island. And their adventure resumed!

Like usual, Luffy ate the most food, and was the last one to stay after dinner was over to eat everyones' left overs. But he was uncharacteristically quiet as he ate when Sanji was the only one in the room. The cook was doing the dishes and cleaning off the table where Luffy wasn't sitting.

"You got strong, Sanji," Luffy commented. The man scoffed.

"Of course I did," but it was with a hint of humor. He was glad to be back, and glad to be cooking for someone who loved his food so much again. He didn't get the same appreciation for his food over the two years in his personal Hell. "Couldn't be in the New World without being stronger than I had been."

"Soooo what was your two years like?" Luffy asked curiously.

"We will NEVER talk about it," Sanji growled. This made Luffy incredibly curious, but he dropped it. After all, he didn't want to bite the hand that fed him. Literally.

"Okay, okay. Are you going to bed early tonight? My night shift starts soon," Luffy said, guzzling the last of his juice and putting it on the table loudly.

"Why? Gonna have some loud sex with mosshead?" Sanji asked, and then grinned at the furious blush that covered Luffy's cheeks and neck. "I'm just kidding. I know you two don't do anything like that anyways."

"Wha-? How'd you know?!" Luffy demanded. Was Sanji spying on them?! Sanji just laughed.

"It's just clear. You guys never hurry off into other rooms awkwardly, and all you do in the bunks is sleep together. Then there's the times you two hole up in the crowsnest, but I don't think you two do anything but be all mushy and cuddly."

Luffy was embarrassed but glad that Sanji hadnt been spying on them, for he would be able to see Luffy and Zoro didn't just cuddle. Luffy dies and then Zoro waits for him to come back. "Uh, well I gotta go, so see you in the morning," Luffy says awkwardly and rushes out of the room.

"You better not raid my damn kitchen overnight!" Sanji called after him, but Luffy was already slingshotting himself into the crowsnest where Zoro opened it for him at the last second, slamming it shut behind him. Somehow Sanji heard it lock.

Why would they lock it just for watch duty? Maybe Sanji was wrong and they do fool around at night. He gave a shrug and then put the cleaning supplies back and left for the men's room.

**Line**

Luffy sat cross legged on the wooden floor, feeling the tremors already. It wasn't painful, just uncomfortable and scary. What if he just never woke up? Zoro was behind him, ready to catch him when he fell "unconscious".

"See you in a bit," Zoro said before Luffy started to gasp and convulse, falling into Zoro's arms. "I got you, I got you," Zoro whispered to Luffy's twitching body before he stilled and his eyes rolled back into his head.

Zoro couldn't help it; he shed a few tears. It was hard watching Luffy die, everytime he was scared of what Luffy was: what if he didn't wake up? Luffy didn't know that Zoro cried about his periodic deaths, and Zoro didn't want him to because then the younger would feel guilty.

While Luffy was limp in Zoro's arms, he ran his fingers through the young man's black hair. He'd missed Luffy, but he had not missed this. The hours where Luffy didn't breathe were the worst hours of his life. None of his past injuries made him feel as pained as watching this happen.

But Zoro would never leave Luffy to wake up alone, and scared and confused like he always did. Zoro wondered how Reighley took care of him. Did he hold him like Zoro did? Or did he just leave the teen to lay on the cold hard ground?

Zoro rocked Luffy's body back and forth for awhile, before he noticed someone coming towards the mast at full speed with his haki. Well, Luffy was right. Sanji would know. But Zoro would try and keep him out. Luffy didn't want him knowing, and though Zoro secretly thought Sanji knowing would be better than anyone else knowing, he was going to do as Luffy wished.

Zoro scooted to the hatch quickly, dragging Luffy in his arms, and sat on the little door to keep him out as best as he could.

He heard loud banging on the door below him, feeling the vibrations of the fist hitting the wood. "Oh, Mosshead! Luffy!" Sanji called, sounding slightly afraid. Zoro actually felt bad for him.

"What d'you want crap cook?" Zoro called calmly.

"Is Luffy okay?!"

"He's fine. He's sleeping," Zoro replied flatly. Sanji didn't buy it.

"Bullshit, your presence doesn't just disappear when you sleep! Let me in!" and he banged on the hatch more. Sanji had gotten stronger, and the lock on the hatch broke from the outside. Zoro was lifted off the hatch with each punch. He could hear the wood crunching.

"He doesn't want to see you."

"... Luffy, I got some meat for you!" Zoro swore. Luffy, if he was just sleeping, would have woken up from those words. "LET ME IN!"

Zoro let out a sigh and moved from the hatch. If Sanji kept screaming, the others would wake up and see what was wrong. One person knowing if better than seven. At least to Luffy. Zoro still stood by his opinion that the crew wouldn't shun Luffy for this.

The hatch slammed open, and Sanji angrily climbed in, about to rip Zoro's head off, before he saw Zoro's slightly puffy eyes and Luffy's _dead body_. His face went pale as he looked at him. "Wh... what happened?" Sanji questioned, sounding devastated. Zoro sighed.

"Don't worry, he'll wake up in a few hours," he said, sounding actually kind. After all, Sanji thought his friend was dead.

"What do you mean?"

"Have him tell you," Zoro said, and both were silent, waiting for him to come back to life. Sanji watched them as Zoro cradled his lover's body. Everything about this was wrong. Why was Luffy like this? Why wasn't Zoro having a panic attack? But he'd wait for an answer, hoping to God Zoro wasn't mentally ill or in shock and that Luffy was dead. Permanently.

It was a long four hours before Luffy's body started to seize and gasping noises came from him. Zoro held Luffy steady as he started breathing in heavily. He made choking noises, thoroughly freaking Sanji out. Then his eyes opened and Zoro pulled him to his chest.

"It's okay, you're okay," Zoro chanted in Luffy's ear. Luffy wrapped his shaking arms around Zoro, slowly calming down. It was always disorienting to him when he woke up. He didn't know where or who he was for a few seconds after his reanimation.

Luffy didn't notice Sanji at first, who was silent, staring at the now alive captain with wide eyes. Luffy had been _dead._ He hadnt been breathing. How? How was this possible? And how long had Zoro and Luffy been keeping it a secret?

"Sanji's here," Zoro whispered in Luffy's ear. The boy stilled nervously. He didn't want to see Sanji, or for him to see Luffy. But clearly, it was too late to take back everything that Sanji had seen. Zoro gave him a hard look over Luffy's shoulder. Just daring him to react badly. But Sanji understood the look. He would not do anything to hurt Luffy's feelings.

"H-hi, Sanji," Luffy mumbled. Zoro let him go and Luffy turned around, still leaning against Zoro heavily. Sanji gave him a look, demanding an explanation.

"You were dead," he said, sounding a bit hollow. "How are you alive again?" He looked very upset, and Sanji was never upset. Maybe angry and depressed after being rejected, but he was clearly very upset. He was Luffy's friend, no matter how much he yelled at the rubber-brain.

"I've always been dead-"

Sanji's brows furrowed. "No, you eat and sleep, and are conscious. That doesn't make any sense."

"Oi, let him finish, crap cook. He was about to explain," Zoro said hotly, not appreciating Sanji making this harder than it had to be for Luffy, who clearly wanted to just run away and tell Sanji it was nothing and to not bring it up again, captain's order.

But he would give Sanji an answer. There was no going back now. Not when Sanji saw him dead and then wake up again.

"I died when I was eight."

_Luffy's eyes opened in the dark. It was stuffy wherever he was, and he couldn't see anything. Wherever he was, at least there was soft bedding under him. But he didn't like the dark. His hands moved around and came into contact with something less than a foot above the boy. Where was Ace? Luffy had been in bed, not feeling very good, and now he was in this cramped space._

_He banged on the wall above him, shouting for someone to let him out. But no one came. He scratched at the thing above him for hours, coughing once dirt rained on his face. But he kept digging, tired of the dark. He stuck his hands out in front of him and push upwards, crawling through the compacted dirt, holding his breath and keeping his eyes closed to not get dirt in them. _

_He was freaking out. Who buried him? Why would Ace let someone bury him? Luffy would suffocate! He finally was free of those unpleasant thoughts when he felt the cool air brush against his hand, the first part of him to break out of the ground. He gasped in long drags of air, pulling the rest of him out. _

_It was dark out, but he recognized this place. It was the cliff that he, Ace and Sabo had sealed their bond of brothers. He was scared now. There was a big rock near where Luffy had emerged, that had his name written on it. _

_Luffy looked away and ran back through the forest, towards home where he and Ace lived. He needed to know why he was in the ground. Why Ace had let someone put him there. The yard in front of the rundown bandit's house was bare. The dog wasn't out, and the door wasn't locked. So Luffy let himself in._

_His eyes widened when he heard crying. Ace was crying in the other room. Luffy hurried to their bedroom and opened the door slowly. Ace didn't turn around, and was laying down face first, sobbing into his pillow. _

"_Ace?" Luffy asked uncertainty. His brother jerked upright and turned around to see Luffy holding the door. "Why was I buried?" _

_Ace thought Luffy was a hallucination. He threw a pillow at Luffy to make him disappear, like he had in his nightmares. But Luffy just yelped and fell to the side. "Hey!" he cried, throwing the pillow down. "Why'd you do that?"_

_Ace's eyes widened and he rushed Luffy, pulling him into a tight hug, and sobbing into his dirty shoulder. He was covered in dirt, as were his clothes. He was wearing nice clothes. "Ace, why was I buried?" he asked again, hugging his brother back just as tightly. _

_Ace sobbed louder, squeezing Luffy even tighter._ "_Luffy, you- you d-died," Ace sobbed, fisting his hand in Luffy's fluffy, dirty locks. Luffy didn't understand._

"_But… I'm here. I'm not dead," Luffy said in a shaky voice. He wasn't dead! He was alive, right there with Ace._

"_I-It doesn't matter now," Ace said, still choking up with tears. _

Of course, it did matter, but Ace dismissed the whole thing, and the bandits didn't say anything about it because they were freaked out about him coming back to life. Some insisted that he would turn into a zombie, which most of the bandits and boys had never heard of.

Luffy had been a victim of a disease that had spread in the forest. He'd eaten infected food, and had died of inflammation to his heart and other internal organs. It had been very painful, but Luffy couldn't remember any of it. He thought he had gone to sleep and then woke up in a coffin.

Around a month passed before Luffy died again. He had been hunting with Ace when he fell to his knees and started to choke. Ace had run over to him, dropping his pipe, to hold his baby brother, who was dying _again._ Ace couldn't lose Luffy again. And he didn't, for Luffy came back to life a couple hours later, in Ace's arms.

That's when Ace threw all common sense out of the window and just accepted that things like this would happen to Luffy. He made sure to keep Luffy with him, and mainly away from other people when he had his monthly passing.

Ace told Luffy he thought his body was resetting. He'd died, and so every now and again he'd need to reset. There was no proof of this of course, but there had also not been a case like this before. And Luffy was definitely not a zombie. He continued to grow, and ate and slept. He got injured, but every time he was injured, he healed quicker. Even faster than he had _before _his first death. Luffy was a conundrum. But Ace was just grateful he hadnt lost another brother. At least, not permanently.

**Line**

"So… you're dead? You just crawled out of the dirt after being buried?" Sanji asked in slight disbelief. Luffy nodded his head.

"Yeah." Zoro tightened his hold around Luffy's waist, knowing his partner was extremely uncomfortable and didn't want Sanji to know. Zoro was feeling a bit guilty that he couldn't do as his captain said and keep Sanji out of it.

"Do you re-die… often?"

"Once every month. Zoro's been hiding them with me since we met," Luffy explained cautiously. Was Sanji disgusted?

"Why haven't you told anyone else?" Sanji asked incredulously. "You kept this big of a thing a secret?" The man sounded a bit angry.

"It's not like they _need _to know. Besides, Usopp would think I'm a zombie and Chopper would just keep asking for check ups, even though I'm able to be good enough for him to pass on being alive." When Sanji asked what he meant, Luffy said, "I only breathe out of habit and emotion. I can't die. I've never gotten the stomach flu since I never use the bathroom either. Can you imagine how freaked out he would be?"

Luffy was able to get his dead heart beating by going into second gear right before a check up. It was true he couldn't die. He could get hurt, but would always heal. That's why Lucci hadnt killed him even though he bursted all of Luffy's internal organs. And why he healed from the attack from trying to save Ace, even though it hurt his body to the extreme.

"Then why do you eat?" Sanji questioned.

"It's yummy."

"How do you age?" Luffy shrugged.

"Dunno."

"Does it hurt?" Sanji fired off question after question. Luffy answered that it didn't hurt but was very scary. He may not need to breathe, but being strangled still was terrifying. Along with the tremors that wracked his body before and after his re-death. Sanji nodded, staring at his feet.

"I won't tell the others. But I think you should. Sure, they might be a little freaked out for a bit, but they would come around just fine, and you wouldn't have to keep it a secret and hide in here. You could lay in your bunk, which is probably much more comfortable."

Luffy sighed. "That's what Zoro thinks." Sanji looked disgusted that he'd unknowingly agreed with Zoro. Then Luffy's expression turned hard. "don't make it obvious that something happened tonight." Sanji nodded. He'd do his best to act as if this had never happened.

Sanji eventually left the crowsnest, and Zoro pulled out the pillows they used to go to bed, since their haki could tell them if a ship was nearing better than seeing. They'd be alerted if anyone was near, even if they were sleeping. Night watch just became a hell-of-a-lot easier.

Sanji was good about not making anything seem out of place, though he gave Luffy smaller portions, since he didn't _need _to eat. Luffy was not happy about this, and shouted at Sanji to give him more. That he was still hungry. Sanji refused to give in to Luffy's insane love of food.

Zoro had been giving Luffy half of his portions, even though Luffy really didn't need it. But Zoro would have given some of his portions to Luffy even if they werent lovers.

The others on the crew noticed that on some nights, all three of the monster trio would all be on watch together, Zoro and Luffy in the crowsnest while Sanji sat against the mast, seeming to be keeping others from attempting to go up to where the couple were.

The second time that Sanji knew about Luffy's "re-death" was hard for him. He didn't see the scene, but he felt when Luffy's presence suddenly disappeared. A common thoughts of the other two entered Sanji's head.

What if Luffy never woke up. He couldn't help but appreciate Luffy more, no matter how annoying he could be. He wouldn't forget the horrible feeling in his chest when he thought Luffy was truly dead in Zoro's arms.

The nights where Luffy was going to have his episode, Sanji could tell by the nervous look he wore through the whole day. How he looked tenser. The others could see it, but didn't know why, and Luffy completely shut them down when they asked about it.

**Line **

"Zoro, it's happening tonight," Luffy said quietly at breakfast. He felt the very faint clenching feeling in his throat. It felt like it was slowly getting tighter, as if someone were tightening a belt around his neck.

Zoro's face turned hard and he nodded. Luffy shoved more food into his mouth, and Sanji let him have as much as he wanted that day. He heard what Luffy had said, since he was sitting next to him. Sanji's face turned hard again, though it also looked sombersome. Luffy was gonna die again. The blond haired man still wasn't used to it. He thought he'd never get used to it.

Luffy didn't want to play much with Usopp and Chopper. He mostly stuck with Zoro, more so than usual. The day went normal besides Luffy being more withdrawn. The others still had no idea why some days he seemed to just pull out of the company of everyone besides Zoro.

And, now, they could see Sanji was part of the bubble as well. No one knew what caused the change. Just one day he was suddenly, _slightly _nicer and more patient with Luffy, though he definitely tested Sanji's patience. Constantly.

Sanji brought Luffy multiple snacks that afternoon, something he usually only did for the ladies. Usopp and Chopper complained about it, but Sanji didn't give them an answer as to why Luffy got to have special snacks today. Luffy just shrugged when he was asked.

The captain was becoming increasingly nervous about that nights re-death because the feeling of being strangled was coming earlier than usual.

"Sanji, make dinner earlier tonight. I already feel like it's happening," Luffy said quietly to the chef once he waved him over. Zoro just leaned against the railing, listening to Luffy and Sanji talk with both of his eyes closed.

"Alright, I'll start it now," Sanji said, and walked away and back into the kitchen. Zoro pulled Luffy to him into his lap with a tight, but comfortable, hug.

"You okay?" he asked quietly. Luffy sighed and nodded. "Dinner will be over earlier than usual. don't worry."

"Yeah…" Luffy mumbled, not sharing Zoro's optimism. Neither males noticed an ear on the railing behind them. Robin knew something was suspicious now that Sanji was part of the secret. Robin had not spied before for she didn't want to intrude on them in their intimate times, but things were changing, and she decided that night that she'd see why Luffy, Zoro and Sanji acted like this.

What their big secret was.

Luffy picked at his food at the dinner table, though it was his favorite that night. He just didn't want anything to eat. Not with the feeling in his throat. He knew he wasn't truly being strangled, but it felt like that, and it was coming early tonight.

Zoro stayed alert for Luffy, as did Sanji. It was an unspoken agreement that they'd both get Luffy out of the dining room if he started to convulse. If he died before he and Zoro made it to the mast, they were to go to the men's room and hang out in there until Luffy was back. The three all hoped that dinner would be over quickly. But he didn't want to seem even more suspicious by rushing the meal.

This, however was a bad choice.

"I'll be right back," Zoro said quietly before he hurried to the bathroom and Sanji turned to do the dishes. Luffy sat uncomfortably, starting to get up and leave since Zoro wasn't there and Sanji was busy.

But the tremors began and he started to gasp and convulse once he stood. It looked like he was having a seizure, and then he fell to the ground, motionless, his eyes open and empty. Zoro usually closed them if they stayed open.

There was silence in the room before everyone started screaming Luffy's name. He was dead. But Chopper didn't get the chance to check and see if he was _really _dead, because Luffy shouldn't just drop dead with no prior symptoms! Sanji picked him up and threw the captain over his shoulder before he fled the room and hurried to the men's room.

Zoro clearly knew what had happened and ran to Sanji, taking Luffy from his shoulder gently. "Don't let anyone in," he commanded and hurried into the cabin, locking the door behind him. He sighed, hoisting Luffy up more securely in his arms as he walked to their bunks. Luffy's eyes were closed gently after he was set onto his bunk that he shared with Zoro. Franky was nice enough to have made the bunk bigger to accommodate both bodies.

"Oh, captain," Zoro sighed. "You're not gonna be happy when you wake up."

Outside of the locked door was Sanji, guarding the room though it was locked from the inside. No one understood why they were being kept from seeing Luffy, and _why the other two men WEREN'T freaking out! _

The tears of the crewmembers had turned to glares and shouts of anger. But Sanji didn't budge, not even doing what Nami said to do. He finally sat down against the door, and didn't budge when Franky threatened to beam him.

"Luffy will explain in a little while," Sanji sighed.

"You keep saying that!" Nami screamed. "What happened to him! He was dead and no one is telling us _why!?_ Just tell us if he's okay!"

"Luffy is fine, Nami-san," Sanji tried, but Chopper shouted over him.

"He's not fine! Let me see him, I am his doctor!" he demanded. He turned into heavy point, done with being denied access to his injured/dead patient.

"Medicine won't fix it this time, Chopper. Just wait. Be patient," Sanji said, trying to be as soothing as he could to his crewmates. He knew first hand what it was like thinking Luffy was dead, and being denied access to answers of why he had died, and how he was going to come back to life.

"What is wrong with him, though?" Usopp asked nervously. Was Luffy okay? Did something happen during the two years apart? Did he catch some sort of disease? There could be so much wrong with him if it made him _die on the spot. _

Sanji sighed. He had to give them _some _information to wait until Luffy came back. "Luffy is not permanently dead. He will wake up. I promise. don't you think Zoro would be hysterical if Luffy really were permanently dead?"

The others quieted, thinking about it. If Luffy really were dead like he looked he was, wouldn't Zoro be devastated? Now, he was silent in the men's room, waiting with Luffy for whatever was going to happen next.

"So… he's okay?" Usopp asked.

"Of course he's not okay! You don't just suddenly die. He has no health problems prior to this, so suddenly dying makes no sense. There's something wrong with him. If he had had a heart attack, then I would be helping him. But _somebody _won't let me see him, even though I'm his physician!" Chopper shouted, the angriest out of all of them.

Robin had been silent, leaning against the wall outside the door, watching what was happening inside the room.

Zoro was running his hand through Luffy's black hair, now sitting on the bed with Luffy's head in his lap. Luffy was not breathing. He looked so _dead._ Like his skin would be clammy to the touch, though it wasn't.

Robin found it quite confusing of Zoro's calm demeanor and his soothing actions. No one seemed to notice what she was doing, all too angry about not being let in. Robin continued to spy on them as Zoro started talking to Luffy's body quietly. It was so quiet that even if Robin had bloomed an ear, she wouldn't have heard him.

Luffy was not breathing, or moving. His eyelids werent flickering like he'd be asleep. He was truly dead, which confused Robin to no end. But she'd be patient. Luffy would wake up; she trusted Sanji's words. They'd find out then.

But Robin still had an eye bloomed to watch if anything else happened.

Three hours went by of Luffy being dead, Zoro holding him, Sanji guarding the door, and all the Straw Hats finally sitting down. They had stopped demanding answers when they knew Sanji wouldn't give them any, and the crew didn't follow through on their threats to break the door and just force themselves in.

Chopper periodically asked Robin if anything had happened, to which Robin would kindly and patiently say no.

But finally, there was new movement in the room and Robin focused her eye on the bed where Luffy's body and Zoro were. Luffy's body started to twitch that then turned into seizures. So intense the bed was shaking, and he started to make loud gasping noises before his eyes fluttered open, clearly disoriented.

"I got ya, Luffy," Zoro said quietly. Robin made her eye disappear so she didn't witness Luffy's emotional breakdown. The second she heard the whimpering gasping noise of crying, she gave her captain his privacy.

"Luffy's awake. But I think we should give him a few moments before bombarding him with questions," Robin said, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Woke up?!" Chopper exclaimed. "Dead people don't just _wake up!"_ He was so confused and angry he wasn't informed about whatever was happening, - or _happened. _

"I'm sure we'll get our answers soon, Chopper," Nami sighed, feeling utter relief washing over her. And like her, others were feeling the relief, too. Usopp, Brook and Franky were all sobbing. It was a horrible feeling to think their friend and captain was dead, and they werent allowed to see his body.

Everyone suddenly felt the urge to see Luffy. Not just go see him, but be with him. They had all underestimated how much he meant to them, as a whole and individually.

But they waited as patiently as they could. Luffy had probably been hiding this for a long time, and probably had a good reason to. Well, to him it was probably a good reason.

"Luffy, why don't we just go out now? Your face isn't red anymore." Zoro put his hand on Luffy's cheek gently. "I promise they won't get upset or scared of you. Promise," he said softly.

"Promise" meant a lot to Luffy. And Zoro always followed through with his promises. He never broke them, so Luffy trusted him with this, though it was a risky promise that could be easily broken. But he couldn't avoid his crew for forever, and they probably wanted an answer. Would they be mad at him for hiding it?

"...Okay," Luffy finally said and got up off the bed, wobbling a moment before righting himself by holding the bed frame as Zoro got off. They both had to admit, doing this on a bed was much more comfortable than on the floor of the crowsnest. Hopefully, next time they could use the bunks again.

It was very late and very dark outside when the door to the room Sanji had been guarding opened slowly. Zoro came out first, seeing everyone sit up quickly and get to their feet, looking confused but also hopeful. Zoro moved to the side for Luffy to walk out of the room slowly.

Before he could say anything, he was bombarded with a group hug. Sanji, Zoro and Robin were the only ones not hugging. Franky's large arms wrapped all over the rest of the crew. Luffy looked surprised, and was hugged so tightly that he could hug anyone back.

The hug lasted a couple minutes before the pulled away, and stared at him, waiting for an explanation.

"What happened, Luffy?" Chopper asked, fearful that Luffy really had some sort of terrible disorder. Luffy licked his lips, afraid to tell them the truth. But he finally did. He gave them the same explanation that he'd given to Sanji a couple months ago.

"So, you just crawled out of your coffin?" Franky asked in shock, but also awe. Luffy nodded with a nervous look.

"Did you think we wouldn't accept you?" Nami asked with a bite in her tone of voice. Luffy nodded slowly. "You idiot! Look at Brook! He died and lost all of his flesh and is now a skeleton. You look fine! We could have been helping you all this time. Did you not trust us?" she asked, hurt in her voice at the end.

Luffy looked down, feeling shame, which surprised him. "I didn't want to risk you guys thinking I was weird. Or wrong, like a real zombie… It's scary when it happens. And I didn't wanna seem weak…" Luffy confessed.

Chopper walked up to him and hugged his leg. "You are weird Luffy. But in a good way! And you're not a zombie or you would'a eaten us by now!" the doctor reasoned.

"I don't think it's wrong Luffy-san. I'm glad you came back to life, or else you wouldn't be here and none of us would have met." The others nodded in agreement with Brook. "And at least you have skin, yohoho!" Luffy gave a small smile.

Usopp spoke next, clearly unafraid after their two years apart. Before they were separated, Luffy was sure Usopp would have been scared. "Tell us next time so we can make things easier. And more comfortable. You don't have to hide it anymore. We don't think badly of you, in any way," Usopp said, gaining nods of agreement from the others.

"Thank you," Luffy said, doing his best not to tear up. Zoro walked over to him and hugged him from behind.

"Told you so," the swordsman said quietly. Luffy gave a small chuckle.

"You did."

**One month later**

"Okay, no one will come into the room if you don't want us to. We'll sleep outside if we have to," Usopp said.

Luffy was getting prepared for his death, feeling the tremors already. He nodded, saying that they could come in to sleep if they wanted. But he didn't want them staring at him, not that he'd know if they were.

The other men didn't know how to feel about that. They really didn't want to sleep in a room with a dead-Luffy, temporary or not. But they wouldn't tell him that. He might feel guilty or embarrassed.

"Ok, Z-Zo-oro," Luffy stuttered out, making gasping sounds. Zoro picked him up and swiftly left the galley. Luffy didn't want everyone to see him die, even though they'd seen it before. But he knew, if it were one of his nakama that died, he wouldn't want to see it, though he'd want to be there for whoever it was that went through this.

Zoro laid a quaking Luffy onto their bunk, gently laying him down and crawling in next to his body. He was out like a light, silent, like he always was when this happened. But Zoro was so happy they didn't have to keep it a secret anymore. Their nakama were good people. Zoro just wished they had found out earlier.

"Luffy's out," Sanji announced after feeling Luffy's presence disappear. "I'm gonna make some dessert for when he wakes up. What should I make?" he asked his crewmates. The atmosphere lightened and then a long argument about what to have Sanji make started.

When Luffy would wake up, he'd find large chocolate cake and a little "re-birth" day party that Usopp had suggested. To make Luffy feel welcomed no matter what. They were his nakama, and they would always be there for them, even in death (though it wasn't permanent). They loved Luffy.

**The end. **


End file.
